I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of earth working implements, and more particularly to multi-use earth working implements which are capable of being utilized on small plots of land and can be moved by a wide variety of prime movers, such as small tractors, all terrain vehicles (ATV""s), trucks, horses, mules or oxen, and wherein the plot of ground can be fully tilled and planted in a single pass of the implement.
II. Description of the Related Art
In a typical farming environment, land is generally tilled or cultivated by machines which are dedicated to a single process. For instance, if one wishes to plow a field, the usual process is to have a tractor pull a plow, or a gang of plows, behind the tractor to effect the tilling. However, this does not end the cultivating of the soil, nor does it affect planting. To properly cultivate a field, it is generally necessary to till the soil with multiple implements in multiple passes with the tractor.
Various forms of multi-use earth working implements have been devised, but they are not adequate for the above-mentioned needs. Typically, the prior art devices failed to have attachments and features which perform the necessary tasks to fully and completely till, cultivate and plant a plot of land in one pass of the implement.
An implement which is typical of the prior art is the patent to Hatcher (U.S. Pat. No. 3,673,970) showing a frame with a hitch to a prime mover and which has various implements attached thereto for cultivation and planting. However, this patent fails to have the complete array of attachments of the present invention and does not have the specific control features for the attachments which are provided herein. This patent also fails to provide the capability of being pulled by many different types of prime movers as provided by the present invention.
In accordance with the present invention and the contemplated problems which have and continue to exist in this field, the present invention generally provides a multi-use implement that can be used to plant relatively small food plots using small prime movers such as garden tractors, all terrain vehicles, light trucks, mules, horses or oxen. The apparatus of this invention is pulled behind the prime mover with either a one point hitch for use with ATV""s or small garden tractors and the like, or the included three point hitch may be utilized with small tractors, mules, horses or oxen. The apparatus has a frame to which is attached various cultivating and tilling apparatus such as a disk harrow to disk up the soil, a gang of plows to cultivate the soil, a seeding apparatus to plant seed or to spread fertilizer, a combination drag and compactor by which the seed may be covered, and to compact the soil. All of these attachments are capable of being adjusted quite easily and/or operated by the prime mover operator from a remote location.
In general in one aspect, the invention features an agricultural device, including a frame having two substantially parallel side bars, a longitudinal bar substantially parallel to the side bars and a rear bar substantially perpendicular to the side bars and the longitudinal bar, tillage tools connected to the frame and agricultural tools connected to the frame.
In an implementation, the tillage tools include a disk harrow cultivator, including a bifurcated angle adjustment bar wherein a first end of each piece of the adjustment bar is adjustably connected to the longitudinal bar, and wherein a second end of each piece of the adjustment bar protrudes through a respective side bar and a plurality of disks connected to the adjustment bar, wherein the bifurcated angle can be adjusted along the longitudinal bar.
In another implementation, the tillage tools include a plow cultivator including a height adjustment bar connected to the rear bar, at least one tine connected to the height adjustment bar and plow heads respectively connected to the tines.
In another implementation, the agricultural tools include a hopper including a bin having an opening, an agitator connected to the bin, plates adapted to open and close the opening and an manual opening adjustment connected to the plates.
In another implementation, the agricultural tools include a compactor including arms connected to the frame, a roller rotatably connected to the arms and at least one resilient member connected to the arms and the frame.
In still another implementation, the device includes an adjustable one point hitch as well as a three point hitch.
In yet another implementation, the device includes an adjustable height device connected to the frame the device adapted to adjust the soil depth of the tillage tools, the device being a manual jack or a motorized jack.
In another implementation, the device includes transport wheels connected to the frame.
In another aspect, the invention features an earth working apparatus, including a frame, a harrow cultivator connected to the frame and adapted to be angled and adjusted for height with respect to the frame, a plow cultivator connected to the frame and adapted to be adjusted for height, a seed and fertilizer dispensing hopper connected to the frame, a drag and compactor device connected to the frame, a height adjustment for setting the soil depth of the harrow cultivator and plow cultivator and a hitch attachment height adjustment device.
In still another aspect, the invention features an agricultural system, including a prime mover, an agricultural device connected to the prime mover, the device including a frame, a harrow cultivator connected to the frame and adapted to be angled and adjusted for height with respect to the frame, a plow cultivator connected to the frame and adapted to be adjusted for height, a seed and fertilizer dispensing hopper connected to the frame, a drag and compactor device connected to the frame, a height adjustment for setting the soil depth of the harrow cultivator and plow cultivator and a hitch attachment height adjustment device.
In an implementation, the prime mover can be a tractor, truck, mule, horse, oxen or an ATV.
By using the present invention, one can plant a food plot in a single pass using a single piece of equipment rather than using multiple implements and making multiple passes along the land to be cultivated. Due to its small and compact design, the invention can easily be transported from place to place and can be used to plant plots in hard to get to places.
The angle of cut of the disk harrow is quite easily changed by moving one clevis pin member while the depth of cut of both the disk harrow and the plow is varied by a jack screw system, which can be both manually or electrically operated, to vary the height of the wheels with respect to the implements. The compactor attachment is adjustable so that it may be utilized as a compactor to roll out the cultivated earth, or it may be swung over the frame of the apparatus to add additional weight to the cutting process. The seeding attachment has an agitator which is manually or electrically operated which may be controlled remotely by the operator of the prime mover.